Blumenthal, Murphy, Colleagues Call for Quick Distribution of Heating Assistance Funding

WASHINGTON DC – As state agencies prepare their Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) programs for the upcoming winter months, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) joined a bipartisan coalition of senators, led by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jack Reed (D-RI), in urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for LIHEAP as quickly as possible under the current continuing resolution. In a letter sent to HHS Secretary Thomas E. Price, Senators Blumenthal, Murphy, Collins, Reed, and 37 of their colleagues are urging the Department to release LIHEAP funds without delay and at as high a level as possible under the continuing resolution. 

Last year, Connecticut received over $78 million in federal LIHEAP funds to assist over 84,000 households across the state.

“LIHEAP is the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing critical assistance during the cold winter and hot summer months,” the letter reads.  “This funding has been an indispensable lifeline during challenging economic times, helping to ensure that recipients do not have to choose between paying their energy bills and paying for other necessities like food or medicine.  On average, low-income families and seniors spend a higher proportion of their income on energy, and for many states, October marks the start of the heating season, creating an additional constraint on these household budgets.”

In addition to Blumenthal, Murphy, Reed, and Collins, the letter was signed by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Edward Markey (D-MA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Gary Peters (D-MI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Robert Casey (D-PA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Al Franken (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Ben Cardin (D-MD).

According to statistics from the Administration for Children and Families, an estimated 6 million households receive assistance with heating costs through LIHEAP, and all 50 states, the District of Columbia, five U.S. territories, and over 150 tribes and tribal organizations receive LIHEAP grants each year.

The full text of the letter is below:

The Honorable Thomas Price            

Secretary        

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services      

330 C St SW  

Washington, D.C. 20416       

Dear Secretary Price:

As state agencies prepare their Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) programs for the winter, we respectfully request that the Department of Health and Human Services release LIHEAP funds as quickly and at as high of a level as possible under the current continuing resolution.

LIHEAP is the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing critical assistance during the cold winter and hot summer months. This funding has been an indispensable lifeline during challenging economic times, helping to ensure that recipients do not have to choose between paying their energy bills and paying for other necessities like food or medicine. On average, low-income families and seniors spend a higher proportion of their income on energy, and for many states, October marks the start of the heating season, creating an additional constraint on these household budgets.

As the relevant state agencies begin to provide assistance for this winter, it is critical that they have the resources to assist low-income households and seniors as soon as possible. Therefore, we request that you quickly release LIHEAP funds and at as high of a level as possible in order to allow states and low-income households to prepare for the upcoming season.

We look forward to continuing to work with you on this critical program, and thank you for your attention to our concerns and those of our constituents.